Today is my (Stephanie’s) birthday, and I’ve always liked the story of my birth. I feel like it suits my personality, and it has a touch of drama (which let’s be real, also suits my personality). I was due on July 4th, but instead I hung out in the womb waiting for an even more perfect date…FRIDAY THE 13th! And I was born after a thunderstorm! And here is the dramatic part: I was born blue because I’d managed to wrap the umbilical cord around my neck! In addition to these details suiting me, I’ve also loved them because they seem ripe for storytelling. If I were artistically talented, I might create and Edward Gorey Gashleycrumb Tinies-style character based on my own birth saga.
So today, I’d like you to create a character with an intriguing birth story—or maybe it is a rebirth/transformation à la Spiderman or numerous other superheroes! Feel free to tell your own birth story or that of a friend or family member. You can add some out-there details to your real story (I mean, I would totally give myself some Harry Potter-type powers) or totally fictionalize it. You are also welcome to use any of the details I shared above if they inspire you the way they’ve inspired me—I’d consider it an honor and birthday present! As always, feel free to express this origin story in whatever form suits you, be it prose, illustration, collage, poetry, or another artistic interpretation. I bet some super cool comics could come out of this!
Whatever you create, send it—along with your first name, last initial, age, and location—to [email protected] with the subject line “Creative Prompt” by Monday, July 18 at 6 PM EST.
Last week we asked you to pay tribute to your BFF. Here’s how you showed your love…